


A Sapling in a Storm

by DeadWizardGod



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Genre: Baby Groot, Gen, Groot is adorable
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-02-12 04:42:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2096175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeadWizardGod/pseuds/DeadWizardGod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Storms weren't meant to happen in space but here it was, battering their ship and terrifying their tiniest member. Luckily, little sapling always find something to hold onto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sapling in a Storm

It was very rare, almost impossible for there to be a storm in space. Yet, here it was, lighting up the black expanse and making it impossible to fly. A dozen flashes a second would have been bad but these flashes, less frequent but more violent were far worse. When the storm reached its peak, it battered against every ship, forcing it to flip and rock about. Peter had said that it would only cut out a few days from their journey but that going around it would take weeks, maybe months. So they stayed.

Peter had flown through the storm until it surged, then had shut up almost all of the systems, at Rocket's insistence. Apparently, the more electricity they had, the more they were likely to attract. No one had known if the raccoon had been serious or not but no one wanted to contradict him. He got a bit bite-y when they contradicted him. A few things had to be left on which had lead to heavy debate between the four about what would be needed for the hours until the storm died down. Gamora and Rocket had ended up with weapons to the other's head and Peter had hastily run between them. 

Despite most of the systems offline, the storm was continuing to bat the team about, forcing them to the floor for the first few minutes until they managed to figure out things to hold onto, securing themselves in place. It had taken a while and a lot of tumbling over each other- which none of them would ever mention again- before each one had found a way to keep themselves upright.

Peter was having the time of his life. He was strapped into the pilot's seat, using several belts he had forgotten he had. Every time the ship lurched, he jumped straight into the air, shoulders straining against the belt that threatened to break. It was best rollercoaster he had ever been on, Terran or otherwise. Rocket was likewise enjoying himself, wires wrapped around his body to keep him where he was, although it wasn't really working. He was still swinging from floor to ceiling but the blows were now softened by his bindings. His arms were poking out and he was laughing- his 100% real laugh- the whole time.

Gamora and Drax were not quite as happy. Gamora was strapped into the other seat, equally tight as Peter but the bumps did nothing to improve her mood. Each movement made her snarl, glaring at the earth man as if it was his fault. Her hands gripped the steering handles but, as all navigation and engine systems were offline, this only helped as an ineffective stress ball. Drax was holding onto the wall, literally digging his fingers into the steel to hold himself in place. Peter had complained at first but one look from the Destroyer had shut him up. The blue man had also dug his feet into the metal beneath him, folding it over to keep him in place.

And Groot...Groot was absolutely terrified.

When they had first got into the storm, Rocket had placed Groot in his little spot with artificially light and perfect temperature. Groot's pot had been strapped in with metal buckles but the table itself was moving and Groot couldn't actually see the others. He knew they were fine and that this was for his own good but it didn't stop him from being scared.

He opened his mouth to shout for them but no sound was made. His face fell. He still wasn't big enough to speak, wasn't big enough to get their attention. He shook himself out, growing leaves and tiny flowers all over his body but still no one came. He cried to himself, wanting Rocket or Peter or even Gamora or Drax, just somebody to hold onto. Someone to tell him it would be okay.

He may have had the memories of being an adult but right now he is a child, a baby, and he had the mind of one.

The table jolted again and the pot came free of one of its buckles. Groot panicked, trying to shout Rocket's name even though he couldn't even achieve that when big and strong. Oh, how he wished he were strong. The table lurched one last time and the pot began to fall, Groot tumbling from his soil with a silent scream.

The little sapling froze on the floor for a few seconds, waiting for the storm to calm slight. When he got a gap, he looked down, expecting to see only broken roots. He sighed we're he saw that his legs were not broken at all. Wait...legs!

Groot jumped to his newly grown feet, laughing noiselessly to himself. He wanted to dance, to go pull Rocket into some sort of motion but then the ship moved again and he feel to the floor. Bringing his little hands to his face, he nodded to himself, determined to join his friends.

The tiny tree struggled to his feet, concentrating to make vines grow from his legs. With every step he took, he made the vines connect to the metal, keeping him in place when the ship flipped. It took a long time but he eventually began to make progress, heading to the cockpit at a snail's pace. He could hear Rocket now, laughing with Quill about rides and weapons. Groot had some trouble when he came to the stairs but, screwing up his eyes to focus, he managed to stretch out his arms to pull himself up, step by step.

He peeked around the doorway, seeing each of them and wondering where he can go. Rocket was swinging from the wall and Groot could not reach him if he tried. The tree tried not to get upset with that, instead looking at the other possibilities. Drax would have no way of comforting Groot and the sapling isn't sure if he even would. Tree are not meant to be in space storms so he needed someone to look after him. The two people in the seats would protect him well, he thought and he could reach them easily. However, Groot didn't know how to determine between them.

'Groot!' Rocket shouted from somewhere above him. 'What are you doing buddy? You need to get back to your pot!'

Groot shrugged, because his pot was broken, and looked at the seated people. The woman, no, that one was a man, looked worried for him but was also enjoying himself to much to actually stop and think. He looked very different to the male, no, female. Groot needed to learn genders.

He shuffled closer to the green female, wondering for the hundredth time what planet she came from. He would have to visit, if the people were so green. He looked up at her, big black eyes wide, and tilted her head. Rocket groaned slightly and Groot held out his hands, making small grabbing motions. The green lady nodded, the motion barely noticeable, moving her hand from the steering mechanism briefly to pull him up into her lap. Groot settled down but Gamora did nothing to comfort him, hands firmly attached to the arms of her chair.

The ship lurched again and Groot almost fell off the chair. Gamora's hand whipped out at the last second to pull him back and into safety. He heard Rocket sigh and realised that the raccoon wasn't enjoying himself anymore. The sapling looked up at the assassin. She seemed more scared than he did and he wanted to change that.

Groot squirmed around until he was hugging Gamora across the middle. She startled briefly but relaxed when Groot wrapped his arms around her, attaching his vines to the back of the seat. He did the same with his legs so that, when the next strike hit, Gamora only jumped a little and the baby tree was happily nestled against her stomach. The assassin's arms slowly wrapped around him, making him squeal slightly. No sound came out but the sentiment is there.

They stayed that way until the storm died down and the others began to disentangle themselves. Rocket was free first, scrambling out of his wires to get to Groot. He plucked the sapling from the lady's lap, holding Groot to his chest.

'Don't you do that again.' Rocket scowled. 'Come on, we've got to find you a new pot. Why didn't you tell me you had legs?'

The raccoon continued to ramble as he walked away from the group, Groot's tiny head poking over his shoulder. Peter smiled back and Drax nodded but it was Gamora who waved to him. Just a tiny twitch of the fingers, but it was there and it counted.

'Grooooooooot.' The sapling crones and Rocket stopped briefly, shaking his head. Groot waved back enthusiastically, limb flailing wilding and making Gamora laugh. Peter shook his head, chuckling into his sleeved. Even Drax managed a smile.

Groot might hate storms but he really likes his friends.


End file.
